This disclosure relates generally to an external shield connector used to connect fiber optic cables to an outside ground.
A cable that utilizes conductive materials is required to be grounded to ensure the safety of individuals in the presence of the cable, to protect the cable and components attached thereto from damage and to increase the overall performance of the cable. To do so, the cable is connected to an outside ground at prescribed distances.
Fiber optic cables may have an outer nonconductive sheath that protects an interior portion from outside elements such as moisture. The interior portion of the fiber optic cable may include optical fibers, an inner conductive shield and a strength member. To ground the fiber optic cable, the outer nonconductive sheath may be stripped using specific tools to create an opening to the interior portion of the fiber optic cable so that the inner conductive shield and strength member can be connected to an outside ground.
However, connectors and grounding techniques which penetrate the outer nonconductive sheath of fiber optic cables and conductively connect the inner conductive shield and the strength member to an outside ground without stripping the outer nonconductive sheath would be welcome in the art.